Steam trap or valve.



J. L. FITTS.

STEAM TRAP 0R ALVE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1910.

Patented Sept. 3; 1912.

All

- have invented an Improvement in Steam lowing specification and shown in the acvalve adapted to control the thoroughfare thoroughfare and the outlet port whereby it an effective construction of trap 'or valve vention is intended for use as a return an 'expansible thermostatic member conan inlet3.and .an outlet UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcn WEBSTER AND COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STEAM TRAP OR VALVE.

1,037,228. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 3, 191 2.

I Application filed May 14, 1910. Serial No. 561,278.

T b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Janus Loam Frr'rs, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof Merchantville, Pensauken township, county of Camden, State of New Jersey,

Traps or Valves, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to steam traps and valves and consists of certain improve ments which are fully setforth in the folcompanying drawing, which forms a partthercofl 1 The ob ect of my invention is to provide which shall operate thermostatically to c'on-v trol a thoroughfare or assage to permit the escape of water and air but prevent the es cape of steam and more particularly my invalvebetween' the radiators and return pipes of a steam heating system, in which case the object of the device is to permit the free escape of the water of condensation and air from the radiator into the return pipe while restricting or preventing the escape of steam,

My invention embo'diesin its construction a valve body'having inlet and outlet ports in communication through a thoroughfare, a

and preferably arranged to be rotated to grind the same upon its seat when necessary,

tained Within and in communication with the chamber of the valve body between the is affected by the temperature conditions within the valve body, and mechanical de vices between the movable part ofthe ther most-atic member and the valve whereby the latter is moved under the expansion and contraction of the thermostatic member, the said parts, together with details of construction, being fully described hereinafter, and more partlcularly defined in the claims.

Referring to thedrawingsz Figure'l is 'a sectional elevation of a steam trap or valve embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of thesa-me and Fig; 3 is a perspective View of the valve operating mechanism detached from the body andthe thermostatic member, Y

21s, the'valve body parts provided with minutes on its inner .end in a thoroughfare 5 also constituting a valveseatfor the valve 6. This valve 6 is provided with'an annular battle 6",, the purpose vof which will be deoughfare an inlet for the purposeof' supporting and guiding the valve centrally with respect to its seat and said valve is further provided with a valve stem 8 which is provided. with an annular recess 11 nearits free end, and also preferably provided with a transverse groove 28 in which a screwdriver may be inserted and by which. the valve may berotated upon its seat 5 when desired for purposes ofcleaning it and the seat of any obstructions which may adhere to them. The side of the valve .body'2 is provided with a screw-threaded aperture 9 in line with the axis of the valve stem and this aperture '9 is normally closed means ofa screw plug 10. By screw plug, access may behad to the valve ot rotating it as above stated, and which 0 eration may thus be performed without dismantling-the trap as a whole. v

12 is a bellcrank or lever structure having one of its arms slotted as at 29 and so shaped as tolrecelve and operate upon the annular of the'valve stem '8, as may be clearly understood by reference to the drawings. A .pin 30 may be employed in the slotted portion 29 immediately abovethe valve stem to prevent hole 31 in the hub of the bell crank and also rcceived'in corresponding apertures in tained by means-of a sealing screw 32. This constructionwill be better understood by reference to'l ig. 2, The bell crank 12 has its other arm pivoted at 16 to a yokev 15,

4. The inlet titer bonnet from thehe'ad '20 scribed hereinafter. The valve 6 is providedwith a wmg uide 7 which fitsinto thelthor stem '8 with a screw driver for the purpose grooved portion 11 and shoulders thereof it riding up. This bell crank 12 is pivoted upon ,a'pin '13 which 1s inserted through a the body and in which it is locked 0r,re-.

the arms of which extend overthe valve stem, 8 and downward for making connectmn with head 20 of which is clampedto the bonnet. 23 by, means "of a clamping threaded st-udf21 which extends through the nut 22 and a the and sealed by I removingthethan atmospheric mi ht exist in sai so that it supports the valve stem 8 at all times during the rocking of the bell crank and thereby maintains the said valve stem 'in the same horizontal axial alinementwith the center of the thoroughfare. This curved part of the arm 12 is indicated at 12" in Fig. 1. The bonnet 23 is'extended downward so as to inclose the thermostatic member and its lower end is provided. withan outwardly directed flange 24 which is clamped between packing 25 and 27 and heldin place upon the upper end of the body 2 by means of the flanged end 26. The thermostatic member may be ofany suitable construction, but that shown and pre- 25 'ferred is of the construction formed of sheet metal with annular'bellows felds so as to be very expansible and containing a volatile fluid whichis susceptible to heat and which under slight variations of said heat 30 vaporizes and produces an internal pressure within the'expansible member and thereby through the mechanical connectionsshown inFig. 3 operate the velvet. I donot make claim to the construction of the expansible member herein disclosed, as said member may be of any construction which is found suitable, but that lllustrated is believed tobe most eflicient for the purposeof this invention. It willbe observed that the ther- 40 mostatic member is arranged upon the dis char e side of the thoroughfare, so that it is a ected by the contents of the valve body in connection with the discharge side or return pipe. I' In cases where the return pipe contains apartial vacuum, thethermostatic member is maintainedin a normally clear condition because of the rarefaction of the contents of the body 2 than in cases where,

atmospheric pressure or a pressure (greater body.

The operation of t 0 device will. now be understood. Assumin that theinlet 3 is connected with the ra 'ator or. other steam.

vessel in which there is water and air. to be removed while restricting the escape of steam, the normal position of the a para- I tus shown in Fig. 1 will be modified y the attemptof any steam or heated vapor to pass through the thoroughfare 5 into the ody 2 in ts escape through the outlet 4. Theincreased temperature so .produced in the body 2 will act upon the thermostatic member 19 and cause it to expand with the result thatthe oke .15 will be moved down- '55 ward, the era 12 oscillated and :the valve through the thoroughfare without closing V the valve 6 because the temperature of these I elements, is not suflicient to cause the expansion of the thermostatic member, and consequently any abnormal accumulations of air and water will find their way through the thoroughfare and out by the outlet 4 as rapidly as such accumulations take place. Any attempt of steam to. follow the air and water will instantlycause the thermostatic member to respond to close the valve 6 and thereby throttle oil the escape of the steam. As the upper end of the thermostatic member is definitely located with respect to the valve, it is evident that the thermostatic member should be so adjusted upon the yoke 15 that the valve will properly seat and unseat with respect to' the thoroughfare in accordance with the requirements, and this provision for adjustment is made in the parts 17 and 18, as before stated.

Bv arranging the valve 6 horizontally and the thoroughfare intermediate of the outlet 4 at a lower elevation and the thermo static member 19 at a higher level, we secure the advantage in that the water of condensation is free to discharge downward, whereas the hot vapors in passing through the thoroughfare impinge upon the battle 6 and are caused to pass upward in contact with the thermostatic member, thereby insuring quick action thereof-the moment such vag ors find their way into the valve body.

, urthermore, the arrangement of the horizontal valve in the manner shown insures the trap being fully drained of water of condensation and thereby avoiding the danger of stopping the operation=of the apparatus which is employed by the freezing of accumulated water at timeswhen steam'is shut off. In my improved apparatus the return valve 6 is so positioned within the valve body that the water drains away from the valve and there is no possibility of it being rendered immovable by the freeza ing of water since no water remains within the bod herein, isclosed.

Byemploying' a thermostatic'member of the character herein described there is capacity to give a movement of the valvepieceof at least 3/15 of an. inch, and consequently the discharge of scale, sand and oxidof iron,

etc., which is commonly found'in heating systems, is very easily accomplished with-j out the possibility of's'toppage bf'the valve therefrom. This form of valve device-ea ables the same to be'revolvedf while in position' so that the valve be ground to its seat when required as a means of keeping the valve piece'ti-g'ht and in good condition, and also as a-means of cutting away the dirt that might accumulate and which," it not removed, would to a greater or less extent interfere with the proper passage of water,

lnduce loss of steam, and thereby cause more or less trouble. By reason-of the fact that this valve permits a large opening of the thoroughfare under normal conditions and thereby enables the valve to keep itself clean, I am enabled to obviate the necessity of using the usual by-p'ass which has been hereand may equally be employed where the .sys-' tem 1s operated as lowras from 0 pounds above atmospheric pressure to 5 pounds be low atmospheric pressure; and it may also be used as a draining means for steam mains generally, cooking kettles, steam tables, or for any other apparatus in which water of condensation accumulates and must be re; moved from the piping without the passage. g

- ,CI'ilIlk pivoted within t e body and having of. steam or excessive quantities of Va or.

While the trap is designed with the lntention of employing the port- 3 as the inlet and the port 4 as the outlet, it is evident that the device may be reversed in its connections, using the port 4 as the inlet and the port 3 as the outlet in which case the thermostatic expansible member would be onthe side of the valve 6 which would be adjacent to the source of the heat; 2'. e., the radiator'side if it was connected to a radiator. It would be preferable, however, in making this reversed connection, to turn the trap so that the port 3 would beat-the bottom and the port 4 would be at the side. It is more desirable that the trap should ,be employed in the manner first above described rather than in the reversed posit-ion mentioned in this paragraph, because not only is the device more responsive with the thermostatic member on the side of the valve that is most distant from the source of heat, but the passage of the water of condensation from the valvebody would be more positively accomplished, and there would be less liability of the valve becoming inoperative by water freezing about it when the system was shut down in cold weather, and also less liability of the valve clogging from dirt.

have shown my improvements in the form which I have found excellently adapted for commercialuse, and tliere'h' re "while I prefer the construction so 1llustrated,' Ido" not confine myself to thedetalls,as these may be modified witho spirit of the invention. I

Having now described my inventiom'wh'at' I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of the body having inlet and outlet ports and valve seat in connection ut departing "from-the withone of said ports, a valve forthe valve seat." supported so as to be freely rotatable and havejmeans for rotating it, a bell-crank pivoted within the body'and having one arm operatively connected wlth the valve between the valve piece and the means for ro tatin-g it to move it to or from the valve seat while permitting rotation, a' thermostatic member arranged within the body and consisting of an expansible chamber containing a highly expansible substance, and an extension from the thermostaticmember connected with the'other arm of the bell. crank; 2. In a device of the character-"described, the combination of the "body havinginlet and out-let ports and valve seat 'in cornice-- t1on with one of said ports and also having an opening through which to insert a tool to. rotate the valve, a plug for normally closing said opening, a valve for'the valve seat, having the end of its steni formed for receiving a tool for rotating it and in line with the removable plu in the body, a bell one arm. operatively connected with the valve to move it to-or from the valve seat, a therwith one of said ports, a valve for the valve seat guided in the inlet port and having horizontal stem, a bell crank pivoted within the body and having one arm operatively connected by a journal bearing with the valve stem to support the valve and to move it to or from the valve seat and also permit free rotation of the valve, a thermostatic member arranged wit-bin the body and consistin of an expansible chamber containing a big ly expansible substance, and a yoke shaped extension from the thermostatic member extending over the valve stem connected with the other arm of the bell crank.

4.In a device of the character described, the combination of the body having a horizontal inlet formed with a valve seat and at right angles to the first mentioned iii a baflle for directing the vapor assing through the inlet in an upward dl i-ection within the body, a thermostatic member within the body at a higher elevation than 5 the inlet and valve adapted to receive the --v apor directed upward by the baths, and means connecting the said thermosatic membet with the valve for operating it. v 5. In a device of the character described,

" ig-jsnectin the thermostatic member with the -'valve or operating it.

6 ..'In a device ofthe character described, the combination of the body havirtiig a side inlet terminating ina valve Fin an outi let at -the bottom at a lower e evat-ion, a 're movable bonnetto close the upper part of fthe body, a thermostatic member secured to $0? the bonnet and extending downward .tov Wa-rdthe outlet, I ahorizontally movable valve for the .valve seat so shaped as to dicopies of thhpatent be obtained mamas rect the, vapors toward the thermostatic member and the water toward the outlet, and means connecting the valve with the thermostatic member whereby the valve receives horizontal reciprocation from the vergiecal reciprocation'of the thermostatic mem- 7. In adevice of the character described, the combination of the body having a side inlet terminating in a'valve seat and an outlet at the bottom at a lower elevation and also a normally sealed opening in its side in line with the inlet for msertmg a tool for rotating the valve upon its seat, a removable bonnet to close the upper part of the body, a thermostatic member secured to the bonnet and extending downward toward the outlet, a horizontally movable valve for the valve seat having capacity for being rotated upon its axis, and means connecting the valve with the thermostaticmember whereby the valve receives horizontal reciprocation from the vertical reciprocation of the thermostatic member and s at all times capable of being rotated upon its axis.

;In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand. v p I JAMES LOGAN FITTS.

Witnesses: Y

WILLIAM H. SNYDER, F. Josnrn MILLER.

for the cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0. 

